Compound: What is it, Characteristics and Meaning

Compound

What is Composite:

The word compound, in its broadest sense, refers to something that is formed from the combination of two or more elements.

Compound can be used as an adjective or as a noun according to the context of the enunciation. An example of the first case would be: "Acosta-Saignes is a compound surname". In the second case we can suggest this example: "Oil is an organic compound."

The word compound comes from the Latin compositus . It is formed from the prefix com ( con -), which means 'next to'; and the participle of the verb ponere , positus , which means 'to put' or 'to have'.

Compound in chemistry

In chemistry, the word compound is used to refer to a substance made up of two or more elements in the periodic table. This type of compound is divided into organic and inorganic compounds .

Organic compound

It results from carbons linked to each other, and in turn linked to hydrogen. In other words, it refers to hydrocarbons. For example, oil, natural gas.

There are also organic compounds that include elements such as sulfur, nitrogen or oxygen. For example, DNA molecules and sugars.

Inorganic compound

They are those that are not synthesized by living beings, that is, in which carbon does not participate. The other known elements play a role in the formation of inorganic compounds.

Some examples of inorganic compounds are water, sodium chloride (or common salt), or ammonia.

Compound in grammar

It is said of the words that are formed from the union of others. According to the form or degree of fusion, they are divided into:

Lexical compound

Also called proper, cohesive or orthographic compound, it refers to the union of simple words that form a single orthographic unit. For example: sweet and sour, can opener, nail clipper, potato peeler.

Syntagmatic compound

They are those word unions in which the elements remain graphically differentiated through the use of the script. For example: Franco-Mexican, theoretical-practical, Greco-Roman, socio-cultural, etc. It is also known by the names of juxtaposed, binominal, or pluriverbal compound.

    • Update date: March 10, 2021.

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